Biomass Processing System Self-Sustaining Heat Recovery
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current biofuel production systems require external energy, reducing their energy efficiency and contributing to harmful emissions, as they rely on fossil fuels and energy-intensive processes, especially when dealing with biomass processing and energy conversion.
Innovation Solution
A self-sufficient system integrating a Combined Heat and Power (CHP) plant with a hydrolysis device, digestion device, dryer, and traffic fuel production unit, which processes raw biomass into biofuel, heat, and electricity without external energy sources, utilizing heat recovery and thermal isolation to optimize energy efficiency and reduce emissions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If external energy sources are used for biomass processing, then production reliability is improved, but energy efficiency deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses its own output (biomass, heat, electricity) to fuel its own operation. The CHP plant generates electricity and heat from biomass that is processed through hydrolysis and digestion, creating a self-sustaining cycle where the system's products become its own energy sources, eliminating dependence on external energy inputs
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines multiple functions into an integrated system where biomass processing, heat generation, electricity production, and fuel synthesis occur in a unified configuration. The heat and electricity from the CHP plant are directly used for drying biomass and powering processing equipment, merging energy production with process requirements
2Duration of action of stationary object
If fossil fuels are used for energy-intensive processes, then process continuity is improved, but environmental harm worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The system changes the fundamental parameter of energy source from fossil fuels to renewable biomass. By converting organic matter through hydrolysis and anaerobic digestion, the system transforms waste biomass into biogas and solid biomass fuel, fundamentally altering the energy input characteristics to be renewable and carbon-neutral
Solution Approach 2:
The system converts waste biomass, which would otherwise be discarded or burned inefficiently, into valuable energy resources. Through hydrolysis and digestion processes, the organic material is transformed into biogas for electricity generation and solid biomass for heat production, turning a waste stream into a beneficial energy source
3Quantity of substance
If biomass is dried for fuel production, then energy content is improved, but energy consumption worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses heat from the CHP plant at the same temperature level where it is most useful for drying biomass. The thermal energy is transferred from the CHP exhaust or process streams directly to the drying process, creating an equipotential heat exchange that maximizes efficiency by using heat at the appropriate temperature gradient
Solution Approach 2:
The system recovers thermal energy that would otherwise be discarded from the CHP plant and uses it for drying biomass. The heat recovery unit captures waste heat from the CHP exhaust gases or process streams and redirects it to the dryer, converting a waste product into a useful energy resource for moisture removal
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system achieves self-sufficiency in producing traffic fuel, heat, and power from renewable biomass, enhancing energy efficiency and reducing environmental impact by recycling thermal energy and minimizing external energy dependence.
Implementation Method 1
a Combined Heat and Power (CHP) plant (102), which fuels itself with dried biomass
Implementation Method 2
a heat recovery unit (112), which recovers heat from the CHP plant and feeds the heat to the hydrolysis device and the dryer
Implementation Method 3
a hydrolysis device (108) receiving batches of raw biomass
Implementation Method 4
a digestion device (110) which receives the biomass processed by the hydrolysis device
Implementation Method 5
a dryer (116) drying the biomass processed by the digestion device by the heat recovered from the hydrolysis device
Implementation Method 6
utilizing heat recovery and thermal isolation to optimize energy efficiency
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5~6
AI summary
A method and system of processing biomass, wherein the method comprises a process having the following steps: receiving raw biomass into a hydrolysis device (57,108); feeding biomass processed by the hydrolysis device (57,108) to a digestion device (51,110); feeding biogas obtained in the digestion device (51, 110) to a traffic fuel production unit (52,104); recovering heat from the hydrolysis device (57,108); drying biomass processed by the digestion device (51,110) by recovered heat; and burning the dried biomass for producing thermal energy to the process.